Acupuncture has become a common way of treating patients fighting addiction in the West. More and more judicial courts require that patients be treated with acupuncture as part of their treatment plan. This practice has been integrated in several facilities in the US making acupuncture a main component in the rehabilitation of drug addicts. The incorporation of acupuncture into their treatment plans has truly helped a lot of people recover from narcotics addiction.
Acupuncture Provides a Lot of Benefits for People with Narcotics Addiction
Folks who really have had a difficult time being treated for drug addiction have responded beautifully to acupuncture treatment. Those who have problems managing their agitation or anxiety are calmed by acupuncture therapy. Among patients suffering from fear, the process of acupuncture makes them more receptive as it halts the underlying reason that sets off their fear.
Patients Respond Very Well To Acupuncture
Most people with addiction problems who have received treatment for addiction respond positively to acupuncture. One survey conducted by the Lincoln Hospital has shown that 90% of patients suffering from acute withdrawal got relief from acupuncture treatment. For those who have received the treatment as a part of detoxification, 90% of them voluntarily came back for additional acupuncture treatments. After having several serial acupuncture sessions, 60% of patients remained drug-free for several months.
Studies on Addiction and Acupuncture Treatment in Reading
Besides providing a means for managing withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and fear for recovering addicts, acupuncture also doesn’t cause any side effects. Patients experience better sleep and lesser cravings for substances after receiving acupuncture.
Ear or acupuncture or auriculotherapy is an acupuncture technique involving the needling of a number of acupoints in the ear. The ones who benefit the most from this type of types of treatment are cocaine addicts. A study done in 2000 by Yale University study showed that after receiving acupuncture about 55% of cocaine addicts tested negative for cocaine. Less than a quarter of the subjects in the study who weren’t treated with acupuncture tested negative for substance abuse.
In 1989, a study was completed showing how severe alcoholics responded to acupuncture. Acupuncture therapy was used along with substance abuse counseling. A group of 40 people being treated for alcohol addiction received only substance abuse counseling while another group of 40 people also with alcohol addiction were treated using substance abuse counseling and auriculotherapy. For the group who received auriculotherapy plus substance abuse counseling, more than half of them finished the treatment program as opposed to fewer than 3% from those who received only substance abuse counseling. Half of the patients who were able to continue to receive acupuncture as a part of their treatment were more likely to remain sober long after completing the initial phase of treatment.
How Does Acupuncture Help People Get Over Their Narcotics Addiction?
Acupuncture needles stimulate blocked energy channels to open which leads to the normal functioning of the lungs, liver, and kidneys. When the channels are free of blockages, energy can flow more freely throughout the body and patients can then manage a lot of their symptoms much better. At the beginning of treatment, cravings tend to become stronger; acupuncture is powerful enough to overcome them. During the entire course of the treatment as patients complete their recovery program, they have to deal with stress, fear, anxiety, and other challenges. Acupuncture assists them by making these emotions more manageable by helping the body calmly deal with all of the negative emotions that may slow down the process of recovery. Patients completing treatment are still required to get acupuncture treatment and therapy and attend group counseling to increase chances of long-term sobriety.
At every phase of an addict’s recovery, acupuncture can provide certain benefits for him/her. Its ability to reinforce the natural response of the body to cravings and stress are but one of the many benefits of this treatment. When patients respond, it leads to quick healing. When acupuncture is incorporated into the treatment the chance of overall cure from addiction becomes very high.